THE KEY TO 

SUCCESSFUL 

FARMING 




PRICE FIFTY CENTS 
1 91^2 

By JOHN K A S M E I E R, Farmer 




THE KEY TO 

SUCCESSFUL 

FA R M I N G 



Si/ JOHN KASMEIER, Farmer 




SHAWNEE, OKLAHOMA 
19 12 



PRICE: FIFTY CENTS 



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£CI.A309319 



CONTENTS 

PAGE 

INTRODK I'lON 5 

CHAPTER 1. 

Preservation of Raini all and Moistukk 7 

CHAPTER II. 

SUBSOILING '. 9 

CHAPTER III. 

Fektilizinc 11 

CHAPTER IV. 
Care of Plant Root.s Ki 

CHAPTER V. 

Preparation of Soil . 19 

Sec. 1. Cotton 19 

Two Bales jxt Acre -26 

Preparing Wet Lands -29 

Sec. 2. Corn -29 

Sec. ',i. Irish Potatoes 31 

Sec 4. Alfalfa, Wheat and Oats 3'2 

Sec. 5. Tomatoes and Sweet Potatoes 32 

How to Dig and Care for Sweet Potatoes 34 

Sec 6. Orchards and Forestry 35 

What Forestry Has Done 36 

Sec. 7. Cultivation of Highly Manured Land 38 

Sec 8. Preparing Lands and Beds for Vegetables 38 

CHAPTER VL 

A Word of Advice to My Brother Farmer 39 

CHAPTER Vn. 

A Few Useful Methods 41 

To Make Fruit a Sure Crop 41 

Marketing Crops 42 

Fattening Hogs 43 

CHAPTER VIIL 

Should Consider Rainfall 44 

Conclusion 45 

Notes of Interest 46 



COPYRIGHT 1912 

BY 

JOHN KASMEIER 

Shawnee, Okla. 



PUBLISHED BY 
THE SCIENTIFIC FARMING ASSOCIATION 

Shawnee, Okla. 

Peerless Press t^^^^^sO Oklahoma Citt 



INTRODUCTORY 

OX an upland farm one mile west of Shawnee, Oklahoma, 
lolin Kasmeier has been raising, corn, cotton, sweet and 
Irisli potatoes, tomatoes and various other products of the 
soil, for the past eight years. He has been exceptionally success- 
ful in his work, producing more per acre and of better quality 
tlian his neighbors or those who cultivated bottom farms. This 
has been due to his careful study of plant culture, experimenting 
2nd the use of sound theories scientifically and practically applied 
Mr. Kasmeier's study has been directed toward raising more 
products of better (juality per acre under whatever conditions, and 
he has been more than moderately successful, as is shown by the 
fact that during the past three years, when the weather has been 
exceedingly dry and upland farms failed to yield more than very 
meager crops, while bottom farms produced not more than a cjuar- 
ter of a crop, he has invariably had a bounteous harvest ot all 
crops except corn, which was killed by the hot winds, which struck 
it while in tassel and silk. 

The soil of Mr. Kasmeier's farm is a yellow, sandy loam, with 
a yellow clay subsoil.— not generally considered good farming land. 
Upon this land, however, by the application of his method of farm- 
ing, he has raised a bale to a bale and a half of cotton to the acre, 
increasing not only the quantity but also the quality. He increased 
the' production of corn from 20 bushels to 155 bushels to the acre; 
potatoes from 40 to 300 bushels, first crop, and 200 bushels second 
crop. During the past year he produced 220 bushels of tomatoes 
per acre; 150 bushels sweet potatoes per acre, the sweet potatoes 
being planted on ground from which had been harvested two tons 
of wheat hay per acre ; 30 bushels of good marketable Irish pota- 
toes though there was no rain in May; 30 bushels of Kafifir corn 
seed'; but no corn, as it was killed by the hot winds, and no system 
of farming will save corn struck by the hot winds while in tassel 
and silk. 

His greatest success during the past dry season was, however, 
ni the production of cotton. He raised an average of 2.000 pounds 
of seed cotton per acre, which yielded 39-2 per cent lint, making 



about 784 pounds of lint to the acre. He received a premium price 
for his cotton, on account of its excellent quality. 

The success that Mr. Kasmeier has made in producing large 
crops under unfavorable conditions has aroused great interest in 
his methods among the farmers, bankers and business men gen- 
erally of Shawnee and vicinity, and also agricultural experts 
throughout the state, who have made many trips to his farm and it 
is upon the earnest request of these men that Mr. Kasmeier has 
reduced his theory and methods to book form, so that it may be 
a\'ailable to everybody. In this work he sets forth his system of 
farming in both very wet and very dry seasons. His system has 
stood the test of a number of years in widely varying soils and 
under very diverse climatic conditions. 

Farming is a science, and as such has been studied by Mr. 
Kasmeier just as any other science should be studied. He has 
experimented, taking into consideration old methods, new methods 
now being taught, and methods that his own experience has taught 
him. All of his investigation and experience has shown him that 
there are four elements essential to successful farming, viz, preser- 
vation of the rainfall and moisture; fertilizing; subsoiling; and 
care of the plant roots. These essentials as practiced by Mr. Kas- 
meier, he sets forth in this work. 




CHAPTKR I. 
Preservation of Rainfall and Moisture. 

T()( ) iiuuli cannot be said of tlio importance of conserving 
tlic rainfall in all sections of the country where corn and 
cotton arc raised. ]f we stoj) to consider that we have a 
rainfall averaging 30 to 50 inches annuall\-. we will realize that we 
have sufficient water to raise the average crop, if the rainfall is 
properly distributed throughout the growing season, or can be con- 
served so that the moisture will be witliiii roacli of the grf)wing crojjs 
when needed. 

Usually considerable rain falls during the winter. Unless this 
can be retained in tlie soil, it is of no benefit to the crops of the 
succeeding summer when the rainfall is meager. 

By my method of jM-eparing the ground in the fail with storage 
furrows to catch tlie water and hold it till needed, sufficient mois- 
ture can be conserved from the winter rains to make a good crop in 
the driest summer. We usually, even in the driest summers, get 
one or more rains. One good rain, under my method of farming, 
a.'', hereafter explained, is sufficient to mature the crop. 

It frec|uently occurs during the growing season that the farmers 
cry for rain to save their crops. A gcwd hard rain comes, and then 
they say that the rain did more harm than good, the ground being 
wet only a couple of inches deep, the greater part of the rain run- 
ning off, leaving the field to become a steaming bed, wdien the hot 
sun comes out, to wilt and scald the plants. As a matter of fact, 
if the soil had been prepared according to my method, the rain 
would all have been ciught and stored, and would have been suffi- 
cient to insure a bum])er cro]). \\'hen not properly prepared to 
retain the water the soil is wet for oidy a slight distance below the 
surface. Relow this is the dry earth. The hot sun, acting upon 
this combination, causes a hot steam to arise, ruining the crop, not 
only wilting the plants but penetrating to the roots. If the soil is 
wet deep, as it should be if the proper preparation is made, such 
results are not seen. This is seen in the case of slow rains, falling 
for several hours. The slowness with which they fall allows the 
moisture to penetrate to the sub-moisture, cooling the roots of the 
plant as well as the portion above the surface and having a bene- 
ficial effect. My method of holding a heavy rainfall and allowing 
it to soak in. makes the sudden heavy show'er the saine as a slow 
rain, in its effect upon a growing crop. These sudden showers gen- 
erally last not longer than thirty to sixty minutes . hence the 
necessity of having the furrows arranged to take care of the water, 
and prevent its running off. 

On about the 17th day of June, iQii. three to four inches of 
rain fell in two lioi'rs. My fields had been prepared for such a 



rain. Ten hours after the rain my cotton and tomato patches 
looked like big lakes, while fourteen hours after the rain there was 
still water standing in the fields. The next day I examined my 
field and found that the soil was thoroughly soaked clear to the 
subsoil. A similar examination made in my neighbor's field adjoin- 
ing, where no preparation had been made for retaining such a rain- 
fall, showed that the soil had been wet for a depth of not more 
than two or three inches. The next rain fell July 19th. My field 
had again been prepared to hold the rainfall with the result that I 
produced approximately a bale and a half of cotton to the acre. 
My neighbor produced between 300 and 400 pounds seed cotton 
per acre on the same kind of land. The topography of both farms 
being approximately the same. These two rainfalls and what 




FIGURE 1 — Shows the method of constructing small dams across 
the subsoil furrows as soon as laid off. They retain the water of 
sudden heavy rains and permit it to soak in instead of running off. 
The dams are made by lifting the plow at intervals of five to ten 
feet, according to the slope of the ground, leaving the soil that has 
accumulated in front of the plow. In wet seasons the furrows may 
be opened up again to drain the land. 



moisture I had preserved the previous year, made my heavy yields. 
It is a well known fact that generally other fields had no submois- 
ture or season in the ground at planting time in the year of 1911. 
The principal upon which I work for the preservation of mois- 
ture is the preparation of deep furrows in the subsoil, which in the 
process of putting in the crop are covered with loose earth. These 



furrows are in consequence made storage reservoirs, holding the 
moisture against evaporation until the furrows are penetrated by 
the plant roots. To get as much good as possible from all rains, 
I construct dams at intervals across the furrows in the cultivated 
soil which keep the water of a sudden shower from running off, — 
the dams holding it until it sinks in, clear to the submoisture. 
These methods as applied to different crops are fully explained in 
the succeeding chapters. The writer considers this one of his 
greatest discoveries. 

CHAPTER II. 

Subsoiling. 

SJBSOILING has a three-fold use. First, it supplies a loose 
bed in which the plant roots can spread in search of moisture 
and nourishment, which are stored there bv metliods described 




FIGURE 2 — Shows the manner of laying off subsoil furrows with 
the lister. ' These are the furrows that are later subsoiled and in 
^\hich the fertilizer is placed. After seeding, these furrows are cov- 
ered with loose earth between the seed rows. 

elsewhere in this work. Second, by breaking up the hard ground, 
it allows the water to penetrate and bring' into the loose soil the 
natural fertility that would otherwise be locked there in such a 
form as to be of little or no use in raising a crop. Third, the sub- 
soil furrows, while in dry times acting as storage reservoirs, io 
wet seasons act as drains, drawing .off the surplus water that would 




FIGURE 3 — Depicts I he subsoiler being run in the lister furrows. 




FIGURE 4 — Another view ot cotton roots running along near the 
surface and entering subsoil furrow. JMr. Kasmeier is explaining to 
his son the theory of scientific farming. He is a strong advocate of 
teaching the young generation advanced ideas of scientific agriculture. 

10 



otherwise be held \>y the solid eartii to stagnate al)oiit tlie roots of 
the plants. 

Although not so necessary on rich bottom land, subsoiling is 
of great service on any kind of land, and \v(jrk si)ent with a subsoil 
plow will always be well repaid. 

The method of subsoiling the ground should be used in the 
preparation of the soil for all crops, grain, gardens, orchards and 
forests, vineyards, alfalfa and in fact all products of the soil. 

To more clearly illustrate the effect of subsoiling upon plant 
growth, it is often noticed, the.prolilic growth of crops, grass or 
otlier vegetation at places where old ditches have been covered up, 
or where stumps have been removed, or at any place where the soil 
has been disturbed to any great depth. 

The subsoiling should be as deep as possible, — the deeper the 
better. Don't be afraid of going too deep. The subsoiling is 
accomplished very successfully with a (Georgia stock, using a bull- 
tongue, or with a potato digger, with the outside prongs removed. 

The special methods of subsoiling for the different crops are 
given in the succeeding chapters. 

CHAPTER 111. 
Fertilizing. 

THERE is no money spent on a farm which brings greater 
returns than that spent in fertilizing the land. My favorite 
artificial fertilizers are cotton seed hulls and meal, with 
hydrated lime. This combination seems to be about what the soil 
of our great southern country needs. 

Before going further into this subject, I will suggest that 
if the methods I detail appear too expensive for general use, they 
he tried first on a single acre. The yield from this acre, in excess 
of what would ha\e been made without the treatment prescribed, 
will pay for the necessary fertilizer for several acres the next 
year, and by the third year, the farmer should he so thoroughly 
convinced of the value of the method that he will consider the 
purchase of fertilizer in generous quantities not an experiment but 
an investment. 

There are. of course, other valuable fertilizers wliich go to 
waste on almost every farm, such as barnyard manure, wood 
ashes, rotten wood, leaves, etc. All such should be saved and 
applied to the land. Besides enriching the soil it makes it much 
easier to cultivate and prepare for moisture-storing. When a 
wood lot is cleared, if the ashes are saved and kept dry until 
they can be applied to a cultivated field, they will bring sufiicient 
return to pay for the clearing. 

Of course the best fertilizer of any kind is barnyard manure, 
as it contains the necessary phosphates and other chemicals needed 



to promote plant growth and development, and mature the fruit. 

In order that the reader may be fully advised as to the 
methods employed in fertilizing, the subject will be first taken up 
in a general way; that is, the methods of applying fertilizers for 
any kind of crop, will be first outlined, and then the special methods 
for the different kinds of crops will be taken up separately. 

Barn-yard manure, when it is available in sufficient quantities, 
should be spread broadcast before the ground is broken in the 
fall or early winter, so that it may be thoroughly mixed with the 
soil in the process of cultivation," and its strength may be dis- 
tributed by the water perculating through the soil. 




FIGURE 5 — Shows the method of applying lime and cotton seed 
meal or hulls. These are my favorite fertilizers, and have brought 
me wonderful results. The meal and hulls with the lime, if required, 
are scattered with a regular spreader. If manure is used, the sub- 
soiler is run through the furrow again before the plant rows are 
made between the subsoil furrows. 

Artificial fertilizers are always applied cheapest and with best 
results in furrows, the plan for the different crops being described 
in detail later. ^ 

Barnyard manure when spread broadcast over the ground, 
should be applied in the fall or early winter, at least sixty to 
ninety days before seeding. It should be immediately turned under, 
before it has time to dry out and lose its strength. The land 
should be turned to a depth of eight to ten inches, and while 



the plowing is being done, the subsoiler should he run behind the 
plow in eacii furrow. 

Where there is a scanty supply of barnyard manure, the ground 
should be turned in the same manner, and then lister furrows 
opened up. The manure is then applied in the lister furrows, and 
then the subsoiler is used in these lister furrows, thoroughly mixing 
the fertilizer with the soil. If the subsoiling does not fully cover 
the manure, it should be run around with a bull tongue, small 
plow or cultivator, and thoroughly covered. 

If artificial fertilizers are used, or cotton seed meal, it should 
be applied in the lister furrows after it has been subsoiled, just 
before planting time. Here it is covered up by the opening of 
the plant rows. 

In fertilizing it is first necessary to have an analysis made of 
the soil to ascertain what chemicals are needed. This information 
can be secured by sending samples of the soil to your nearest 
experiment station. After it is ascertained what chemical your 
soil lacks, my method is to use the necessary chemical mixed with 
cotton seed meal. As much cotton seed meal can be used as desired, 
the more the better. Xo matter what the amount of cotton seed 
meal used, 1 find it always advisable to use 600 to 800 pounds of 
phosphate per acre. However, this may vary for the different 
qualities of soil. The foregoing applies to any and all crops. 

My method of applying the fertilizer for cotton is to use about 
four sacks of meal mixed with the amount of chemicals required 
per acre. This is distributed with a fertilizing machine in the sub- 
soil furrow hereafter described, three to four inches deep, from 
fifteen to thirty days before planting time. At planting time, when 
the lister furrows are opened up to receive the seed, the opening 
up of these furrows will partly cover up the subsoil furrow con- 
taining the fertilizer. The fertilizer should remain undisturbed 
m the lister furrow until after the cotton plant is four to six inches 
high, or until it has been worked with the harrow or weeder three 
or four times. Tlien the fertilizer is thoroughly stirred with a 
Georgia stock, using a bull tongue six to eight inches wide and 
about fourteen inches long. This subsoil or fertilizer furrow should 
be opened or stirred after every cultivation of the cotton, until 
it is found that the spreader roots have begun to find their way 
into the subsoil furrow, .\fter this do not disturb it any more. 

In case cotton is planted fiat or upon a bed, the fertilizer 
or subsoil furrow will be entirely covered up as soon as the cotton 
ib worked by harrowing or weeding. The same operation of 
stirring should he ap])lied to cotton planted in this manner as 
when it i& jilanted in the bottom of the lister furrow as heretofore 
described. 

13 



The plain cotton seed meal is also used with the planter 
at the time cotton is planted, the usual combination planter and 
fertilizer machine being used in this work. The writer finds that 
it is exceptionally desirable to mix with the cotton seed meal an 
equal part of dry sand. The using of sand not only causes the 
fertilizer to work better in the planter, causing a more even dis- 
tribution of the fertilizer, but in soil containing very little sand, 
the sand so used in the fertilizer makes a good moisture preserver. 
About one sack of meal per acre is used in this manner. However, 
as much meal as desired can be used in the plant rows. I have 
found it undesirable to use any chemicals or other kind of fertilizer 




FIGURE 6 — Shows the plant rows being opened at seeding time, 
with a lister. The opening of this row covers the subsoil furrow, 
•with its fertilizers and stored moisture. No subsoiler is run through 
this furrow for cotton, but for corn, potatoes, tomatoes, etc., the 
subsoiler is again used, the plant row being prepared in the same 
way as the subsoil furrow heretofore described. 

under the plant row of cotton at planting time, except cotton seed 
meal. Chemical fertilizers of various kinds should be constantly 
stirred in order that they may be thus distributed through rhe 
soil. If such fertilizers are placed under the plant rows it is 
impossible to properly stir them, and it is often found that a 
fertilizer when used in this manner has never distributed itself 
through the soil, but lay there undisturbed and was of no use 
to the plant, as the roots went on through the fertilizer bed into 
the unfertilized soil. Only enough meal should be used in the 



plant row to give tlio plant a hcaitliy start. After tlie ])laMt has 
attained a few weeks' rai)i(l growth, caused 1)\- this fertilizer in 
the plant row, the roots will extend out and enter the suhsoil furrow 
containing the thoroughly mixed fertilizer. It will he readily under- 
stood that hy api)lying this method the fertilizer is put where it 
is reached hy the ends of the roots which al)S(jrl) by lar the 
greatest proportion of the nourishment for the plant, instead of 
putting it in sucii a position that the roots pass through the fertilizer 
into the unfertilized ground heyond. This also ai)plies to all other 
crops. 

Where cotton seed meal or any chemical fertilizers are used, 
they may he applied in subsoil furrows between rows, either before 
or after crops have been planted, but not to be applied after the 
roots begin to enter the subsoil furrows. As heretofore described, 
the fertilizer should be stirred after each cultivating. 

It is deemed best, however, to apply the fertilizers before 
planting time, but it is often the case the farmer is behind with 
his work, and has not the time to apply fertilizers beforehand. 
Satisfactory results can be obtained by applying after planting. 

If barnyard manure is used as a fertilizer it should be dis- 
tributed in the lister furrow before subsoiling. The running of the 
subsoiler through the lister furrow after the manure has been 
placed in the furrow wdll thoroughly mix and have a tendency 
to cover it. By fertilizing in this manner only one-half the usual 
amount of manure is required. If lime is used it should be placed 
with the manure in the -same furrow and mixed at the time of 
the subsoiling which thoroughly mixes the manure, lime and earth 
together. When barnyard manure is used in this manner it should 
be applied as early as possible, and in any event should not be 
applied less than thirty days before planting time. This likewise 
applies to all other crops. 

The following is an old German method of making and pre- 
serving manure which is found to be extremely useful, as follows: 

Cess pools are dug near the barns, and also ditches leading 
from the barnyard to the cess pools, so that all liquids from the 
yards will be drawn into the pools and retained. The cess pools 
should be cemented to hold water. Dry manure is thrown into 
the pools, where it is allowed to remain until desired for use. 
This is done in order to keep the manure so wet it will not heat 
and burn from dryness. 

The writer cannot too highly recommend the use of barn- 
yard manure as a fertilizer, because of the fact that it is not 
necessary to apply as much phosphate when it is used, as barn- 
yard manure preserved according to the method just described 
possesses and retains all the elements necessary to promote plant 
growth. However, it is much better to use 600 to 800 pounds of 



rock phosphates per acre; the more manure used, the less phos- 
phates required. 

A valuable method of fertilizing where land is plentiful, is to 
sow cow peas, wheat, rye, oats, etc., and turn under just before 
the crop begins to mature. The writer has increased his produc- 
tion of corn from twenty to sixty bushels per acre by this method. 
Use of Phosphates. 

If the growth of your cotton stalk is excessive and does not 
produce a good yield, use from 800 to 1000 pounds of phosphates 
to the acre. How do I know that it takes 800 to 1000 pounds of 
phosphates? Because experience has shown me it takes 150 loads 
of manure, and that amount of manure contains 800 to 1000 pounds 
of phosphates. 

Had I had a little more rain the past season I would have 
increased my yield of cotton per acre to double what it was. 
Instead of raising 2300 pounds I would have raised close to 5000 
pounds per acre. I fully believe that the time will come when 
we will raise four to five bales to the acre, by using my methods 
ot cultivating and fertilizing. 

In addition to heat, light, and moisture certain chemical com- 
pounds, such as calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium, are 
essential to plant growth. These occur in the soil in the form of 
sulphates, phosphates, nitrates and other soluble compounds, and 
are absorbed by plants Ijy means of their root fibers, especially 
the root hairs. 

It is readily seen that continual cultivation of the soil will 
eliminate these essential elements through solution and drainage. 
This is especially true in regard to the phosphorus and nitrogen. 

It is highly essential, then, that this loss be made good through 
the use of fertilizers. Barnyard manures are especially rich in 
nitrogen and phosphorous, which gives . them great value as fer- 
tilizers. 

Cotton seed meal contains a high per cent, of nitrogen, and 
should be used freely on land that has been cultivated for several 
years. 

Cotton, corn, or any other plant may have a prolific growth, 
and look healthy, but not produce a good crop of fruit. In such 
cases the soil is badly in need of one or more of the above elements. 

It is a good plan to always use a little lime as it is valuable 
in exterminating insects. 

CHAPTER IV. 
Care of Plant Roots. 

IT IS often noticed by cotton growers that although the cotton 
plant appears to be flourishing and fruiting well, the early 
fruit falls off, bushels of tfiem being scattered over the ground, 
and the cotton is late maturing. This is the result of too deep 

16 



cultivation. The feeder roots are cut off by the deep cultivating, 
as fast as they are formed. Consequently, the young fruit has 
no means of sustenance, and dies. After the cotton is laid by, new 

feeder roots, however, put out, and new fruit starts, but it is late, 
and all of the early croi) is lost. 

The same is true of corn, potatoes, tomatoes and all other 

kinds of crops. It has often been noticed by any farmer, while 




FKUTKK T-Shows how deep cultivation cuts off the feeder roots 
making the crop of cotton short and late. The figure to the l^ft 
shows how proper cultivation preserves the roots . 

cultivating potatoes, sweet or Irish, that when he reaches the end 

of a row he has to stop to take the roots off his plow. Now. these 




FIGURE 8— Was made after the soil had been carefully if"'J\ed 
from the roots of a growing cotton plant. It shows the roots run- 
n^n^ alone close under the surface of the earth and entenng the 
subsoil fufrows Thev are attracted by the moisture and plant food 
wkPd un and preserved in this furrow. The large root on the lett 
of the ,Xto was ImTv an inch and a half beneath the surface at the 
Dlant and ran graduallv to the bottom of the subsoil furrow to a 

causing fruit to drop off before maturity. 

17 



roots are the very life of the plant. After they are cut off by 
deep cultivation, if the season is too dry for new roots to start, the 
crop is largely or entirely lost. But even if new roots do put out, 
the crop is either late, or else has not time to mature at all. 

If you want to raise good crops, you must give yout plants 
a chance to get all the nourishment and moisture possible, and 
this can be done only by preserving the only means the plant 
has of securing moisture and nourishment — its roots. Cultivate 
and save the roots, and the roots will save the plant. 

The writer always preserves the plant roots by shallow cultivat- 
ing after the plant is up and growing, by constantly turning the 
soil to the plant. Deep plowing being done before planting time. 




FIGURE 9 — Shows cotton roots entering the subsoil furrow. The 
stalk at the right was not grown in the spot shown, but had been 
pulled up and placed there to show the length of the routs. The 
long root shown was over 7 feet in length. The other stalk was 
grown in the exact position shown. The picture also shows the heavy 
yield of cotton. 

Referring to figures No. 7 and 8, it can be clearly seen the 
disastrous effect deep cultivation has upon the growing plant. Roots 
are the only method the plant has to extract its nourishment from 
the soil. Therefore it is very plain to be seen that if the roots 

are destroyed, as shown in figure No. 7. the plant will be greatly 
retarded in its effort to grow and produce a good crop of fruit. 

The proper way to cultivate is to carefully guard these roots and 
continually throw dirt to the plant row ; instead of the roots being 
destroyed they will be protected, and the entire plant will have a 

18 



network of small feeder roots runniiiK tliroii^Ii the soil for several 
feet around the plant, enabling it to extract any moisture and 
nourishment which may be in the soil. 

By referring back to the preceding chapter, it is noticed the 
essential chemical compounds necessary to promote plant growth 
and production. These compounds arc not all deposited down deep 
in the earth, but are mixed thoroughly throughout the cultivated 
soil. The tap roots extending deep into the sui)soil, do not provide 
the plant with the above chemical compounds. They will, however, 
l)rovide some moisture, and in most cases will produce a stalk or 
plant, but will not attract and provide enough of the chemicals to 
give the necessary vitality to the plant. The roots which attract 
and take up the chemicals and fertilizer necessary to produce vitality, 
are the small net-work of libers and spreader roots, which branch 
out and run in all directions near the surface. These are the roots 
which are destroyed by deep cultivation. The small root, which is 
generally disregarded, is of vital importance and should be preserved 
and cultivated and not destroyed. 

CHAPTER V— Shx. i. 

Preparation of Soil. 

COTTON 

THE secret of my success in raising all kinds of crops lies 
in the preparation of the soil before seeding, more than in 
the cultivation of the growing crops. The soil should jje 
cultivated just as thoroughly and with as close attention to detail 
before planting time as possil)le. 

As cotton is perhaps the most important crop in the consid- 
eration of the readers of this little book. I will take up first the 
raising of cotton as typical of my methods, which apply to almost 
all crops. To make the method more clear the accompanying dia- 
grams are used. 

First, in tlie late fall or early winter, as soon as the ground 




FIGURE 10 — Shows' first breaking of the ground, which should be 
six to ten inches deep. Plowing should be done in the fall or early 
winter. 



is cleared, it should be broken to a depth of six to eight inches 
as in Figure lo. It is left lying in this state until spring, .\fter 
each hard, beating rain, the ground should be harrowed or disked 
two or three inches deep, to produce a mulch. If not enough rain 
falls to settle and pack the soil at all. it should be harrowed and 




A photo of Mr. Kasmeier's product which was raised in IHll. 
Notice the large bolls of cotton. In the picture Mr. Kasmeier is 
pointing to a small stalk of cotton, which produced 13 large bolls. 
This stalk was grown on unfertilized land, but was cultivated under 
his methods. 

The large stalk on the right has 170 bolls, and was grown on land 
which had been fertilized with manure and cotton seed meal. These 
bolls produced a pound of cotton to every 50 bolls. 

The corn, Kaffir corn, potatoes and fruit are products of 1911. 



20 



then rolled. The purpose of packing the soil is to preserve all 
of the moisture underlying the mulch. 

Thirty days hefore planting time, furrows should he opened 
as in hgure ii, with a 14 inch lister. These furrows should l<e 
four to live feet apart, according to the fertility of the soil. It 
will he noted that this furrow takes out all of the worked soil 
to the hottom of the first plowing, or ahout eight inches. These 
farrows are opened for two purposes, to allow deeper suhsoiling, 




-ra-- - 



FIGURE 11 — Shows method of laying off subsoil furrows, with a 
II inch lister. The lister should run the depth of the first plowing, 
and the rows should be four to five feet apart, according to the fer- 
tility of the soil. The lister furrow should be opened at any time 
after first plowing. 

as shown in figure 12, and to provide a place for putting the fer- 
tilizers, as more t illy described elsewhere. 

The suhsoiling should be done, (Figure 12), by running a 
Georgia stock (or a potato digger with the prongs removed) 
through the furrow.^ made with the lister. The suhsoiling should 
be carried as deep as possible, in order to preserve all of the mois- 
ture derived from any rains. In case fertilizers are used, they 
should be placed on top of the subsoil furrow about thirty days 
before planting time. Manure, if used, should be put in the furrow 
before suhsoiling. Thus the subsoil furrow is made a rich moist 
bed which attracts the roots of the cotton plants, forming a trough 
from which they may feed. 

Just before planting time rows should be opened with a 14 
inch lister. These rows are opened half way between the subsoil 
furrow as in figure 13, and should not be opened until ready to 




FIGURE 12 — Shows method of suhsoiling. The subsoiler is run 
in bottom of the lister furrows, as deep as possible. Subsoiling should 
immediately follow the opening of the lister furrow. Both should be 
prepared early enough in the winter to catch the winter rains and 
snow. 

21 



plant. The soil is thrown out of these furrows into the subsoil 
furrows, effectually sealing the moisture and fertilizers in these 
furrows, where it is found by the spreading roots of the cotton 
plant. The loose soil above these furrows prevents evaporation 
of the moisture. In dry seasons, the cotton seed should be planted 
at the bottom of these new furrows, on the hard ground. After 
the ground has been turned in fall or winter if hard beating rains 
should fall and the ground becomes packed, care should be taken 




FIGURE 13 — Shows the opening of the iilanting rows between 
the subsoil furrows, the dirt being tlirown into the subsoil furrow. 
For cotton, when conditions are dry at i)lanting time, the subsoil 
plow is not run in this furrow, the seed being planted in just enough 
loose earth to cover it and germinate. These furrows should be made 
just before planting. 

when opening plant rows to not allow the lister to throw all loose 
soil from the furrow. Enough loose soil should remain in the 
bottom of furrow to cover seed, care being exercised to see that 
the seed is planted on hard ground in bottom of row. The method 
for wet seasons is given elsewhere. 

After the plants have begun to grow, the dirt should be filled 
m around them with a weeder or harrow, as in figure 14. This 
operation should be repeated until the ground is again level. After 




FIGURE 14 — Shows c indition of field after the first working with 
a weeder or harrow, a small amount of earth being worked down 
about the cotton plant in the lister furrow. This is repeated until 
the ground is almost level 



this, start to work with tl;;- cultivator, but at no time cutting deeper 
than I, to 2 inches, throwing the dirt gradually to the plant. 

Shallow cultivation \>- essential, as it prevents the falling off 
of the fruit and promote.4 early maturing of cotton. It preserves 
the feeder roots, shown r.i figure 15, (which depicts the cotton as 
laid by) which are the r;)ots which give the growth to the fruit. 
Under the old method 01 cultivating, cutting down to a consider- 

22 



able depth, these feeder roots are cut off, while under my inetliod, 
they are left intact, as shown in Hgure 7. 

Where one-half I)ale of cotton has been produced per acre 




FIGURE 15— Shows cotton after laying by. It shows also the 
formation of the roots near the surface of the ground, running down 
into the subsoil furrows. 

under favorable conditions and seasons, the same amount or more 
can be produced on the same land under unfavorable conditions, 
without the use of fertilizers, provided the same method of sub- 
soiling, moisture preservation, care of plant roots and cultivation. 




FIGURE 16 — Shows Mr. Kasmeier's cotton field, which the past 
cry season produced 2,000 pounds of seed cotton (784 pounds lint) 
per acre, the staple being of extra length and fine quality. Note the 
iieavy fruitage. The view was taken before the first picking. 

23 



IS carried out as set forth in tliis book. This also applies to all 
other products. 

The writer desires to impress upon the reader the importance 
of planting cotton seed on the hard soil in the bottom of the 
furrow, assuming, of course, that the cotton is to be planted in 
furrows, instead of flat or in beds. It is noticed that when cotton 
is planted it often fails to make a stand. This is especially true 
where the soil is dry and there has not been enough rainfall to 
put a season in the ground, in the winter and early spring. The 
lint around the cotton seed acts as an insulator, and it takes plenty 
or moisture to break through this insulation and germinate the 
seed, causing it to sprout. The hard unworked soil lying under- 
neath the worked ground is always moist, provided, of course. 




FIGURE 17 — Is a view uf Mr. Kasmeier's cotton tield last year, 
with Mr. Kasmeier standing in the field. It can be seen that the 
cotton is shoulder high. The cotton field at the left in an adjoining 
field produced a total of about 300 pounds of seed cotton to the acre, 
while Mr. Kasmeier's field, cultivated according to his method, pro- 
duced 1163 pounds per acre the first picking. This field was picked 
over three times, producing a total of 2650 pounds of seed cotton per 
acre. This view was taken before the first picking. 



there is any moisture in the earth at all, and by planting the seed 
on top of this ground, and covering two or three inches deep, the 
seed will attract and draw enough moisture from the hard ground 



24 



underneath, to germinate the seed, and will always [jroduce a good 
stand, providing the seed is good. 

As an example to show what the above mcthofl will do. the 
writer planted cotton on the 7th day of June, 191 1, on ground 
\\here a potato crop had been raised and gathered the same year. 
The ground was hot, dry and loose, and contained no moisture 
whatever as deep as it had been worked. After the potatoes were 
dug, furrows were opened and cotton seed planted on top of the 
hard unworked ground in the bottom of the furrows. The ground 
was so dry and loose that it was very hard to open the furrows, 
as the loose, dry soil would slide back into the furrow, filling it 
up again behind the plow. The seed was covered two to three 




,, ^^i-'UKE IS— hhow.s a party of Shawnee business men inspecting 
Mr. Kasmeiers fields, and also studying his methods of farming 
1 hese men unanimously approve of his system. The picture was 
taken before the second picl<ing. 

inches deep. Neighbors and friends laughed and ridiculed, saying 
nothing would come up in such ground, but they were entirely 
mistaken, for in seven days this cotton was 'Up and thriving, and 
produced a double stand, which was later thinned out. Three 
days later a good rain fell, washing the loose soil over and com- 
pletely covering the cotton four to six inches deep. The plant 
rows and field had been prepared to retain any rainfall. A few 
days later a small "V" shaped harrow was run over the rows and 

25 



the cotton was uncovered. On the 19th of July another rain fell. 
This field produced 1200 pounds of cotton per acre, and if the frost 
had not killed the plant, it would have produced at least one bale 
per acre. 

This cotton was thinned out leaving stalks from 14 to 20 inches 
apart, and one stalk only in a place. In dry seasons especially, 
care should be taken to leave only one stalk every fourteen to twenty 
inches on land without fertilizers. On highly fertilized land stalks 
should be spaced two to three feet apart, depending upon the fer- 
tility of the soil. This gives the one stalk a chance to secure all 
of the moisture and nourishment in the ground around the plant, 
which will be enough to sustain the plant and mature all the fruit 




FIGURE 19 — Shows Mr. Kasmeier's field of Mebane cotton. This 
is his favorite cotton, which produced more than 2,000 pounds of seed 
cotton per acre, which averaged 39.2 per cent lint. 



or the stalk. Whereas if two stalks had been allowed to grow 
where one only should have been, the moisture and plant nourish- 
ment existing in the ground would have been" divided between the 
two stalks, with the result that neither would have received enough 
nourishment to properly make and mature its fruit. Better to have 
one stalk with a few good large bolls than to have two stalks 
producing nothing. 

Two Bales per Acre. 
If we want eggs for Christmas, we set our incubators in Jan- 

26 



uary, I'cbruary or March. Chickens liatchcd tlioii will lay in (Jctu- 
ber, November and December. 

So, if you want to raise two bales of cotton to the acre, you 
must get an early start. Try this method : 

First, fertilize and furrow five feet apart, 30 to 60 days before 
planting time. Use two tliousand i)ounds of cotton seed hulls, 
three hundred pounds hydratcd lime, to the acre. Put your hulls 
in the lister furrows lirst. tlicn mix the lime with 200 pounds of 
tine dry sand and 300 pounds of wood ashes. Mix it all thor- 
oughly. It must be perfectly dry when mixed, so that the fer- 
tilizer distril)ut()r will distribute it evenly. This mixture sliould 




The above photograph depicts John Kasmeier, Jr., calling the young boys and 
girl.s attention to the five bales of cotton, which was raised by his father on three 
acres of land, during the dry season of 1911. Young Mr. Kasmeier says, .vhen he 
grows up to be a man, he is going to raise this many bales upon two acres i land, 
by using his father's method of plowing, fertilizing and cultivating. 

be distributed in the lister furrow, where the hulls have been pre- 
viously placed. Then take a heavy Georgia stock with a bull 
tongue from three to four inches wide, and from twelve to four- 
teen inches long and go through the lister furrow which c.jntains 
the hulls, lime and ashes, as deep as the team can pull it Then 



with a walking or riding cultivator or Georgia stock, thoroughly 
cover the fertilizer. Wait until you get a good rain, then with 
your Georgia stock and bull tongue, go through the fertilizer fur- 
row again, and cover again in the same manner as the first time. 
Then a week before planting time, about May ist for the district 
between the 33rd and 37th parallels, take four hundred pounds 
of cotton seed meal, 800 to 1000 pounds ground rock phosphate and 
about 400 pounds of dry sand, mix thoroughly, again open the 
furrow containing the hulls, lime, sand and ashes, and distribute 
the cotton seed meal phosphate and sand with the fertilizer dis- 
tributor in this same furrow, and cover up as before. 

This method will make you, on land where you formerly 
raised about a hundred pounds of seed cotton to the acre, a bale 
to a bale and a half to the acre; and on land that formerly brought 
you half a bale to a bale to the acre, two bales to the acre and 
upwards. Your furrows miret be five feet apart, on land that 
formerly produced a hundred pounds ; and on land that produced 
more than that, three feet apart. The stalks ought to stand in 
the rows fourteen inches to eighteen inches apart, and one stalk only 
remember, only one stalk in a place. In the cotton planted with 
the rows five feet apart, there should be one stalk, — just one stalk 
and no more, every two feet. 

I cannot impress upon the intelligent citizens, farmers and 
truckers too strongly to save every bit of manure and wood ashes 
they possibly can. Wood ashes are safest kept in galvanized or 
other metal containers, and should be kept carefully covered, as 
ashes for fertilizer should be kept perfectly dry. Whenever you 
clear an acre of ground and burn up the brush and logs, take the 
ashes home while they are dry. With that amount of ashes, hulls, 
lime and meal applied as above to a worn-out acre of ground, you 
will have two acres instead of one, in amount of product. The 
only difiference of cotton or whatever you plant on the ground 
being that the worn-out acre will have the best product. So save 
your ashes and save them while they are dry. Also save rotten 
logs and decayed leaves. By using. such things you will not have 
to use so much of the hulls. If we all used these methods through- 
out our great American cotton belt, instead of planting close to 
forty million acres and getting only from ten to fourteen million 
bales, half of which is only shoddy cotton for which we get shoddy 
prices, we would raise from fifteen to twenty million bales of the 
finest staple on twelve to fifteen million acres of land, and could 
put the remaining twenty to twenty-five million acres in corn, a 
few potatoes, sweet potatoes, wheat and feed with which to fatten 
our hogs, cattle and sheep. If we farmers will do that, we will 
have our billion dollar cotton crop as money in the bank, and you 
bet we can live at home and when you young men and women 

28 



marry you need not start a poor house. And when you young 
farmers unite, what a mighty giant you will be ! All business will 
be based upon you and you will then be monarchs indeed. 

Preparing Wet Land for Cotton. 

Figure twenty (20) shows the method of preparing low or wet 
land for the raising of cotton. The ground is first turned as shown 
in figure ten (10), then beds or rows are thrown up six to eight 
feet apart as shown in cut. A subsoiler is run through the middle 
of the furrow between the rows. These furrows not only provide 
a moisture preserver and fertilizer bed for dry periods, but in case 




FIGURE 20 — Shows the method of preparing beds in low, wet 
lands for planting cotton. These beds are also used on other lands 
in exceptionally wet seasons. This cut shows the subsoil furrow 
between rows, which contains the fertilizers. 

of too much rain they act as drain ditches to carry away surplus 
water. Planting should be done on top of these beds. In the case 
of wet bottom land these beds need not be destroyed, but can be 
used from year to year for cotton, planting on top of the beds and 
cultivating as usual, and keeping the subsoil furrows open. This 
form of beds should be used on high land as well as low land in 
wet, rainy seasons, instead of the method shown in figure 13. 

Sec. 2. 
CORN 

In the cultivation of corn, it is very important that the land be 
carefully prepared, as corn will not stand the hot winds of the 
south as well as cotton. The writer has secured satisfactory results 
in raising corn even in dry years when others have failed, by care- 
fully preparing and working the ground before planting in accord- 
ance with the following two methods : — 



First, where subsoil furrows are used not only between rows 
but in the plant rows. 

Under this method we will consider the raising of corn with 
and without fertilizers, as follows : 

The method of subsoiling and fertilizing where a sufficient 
amount of manure cannot be obtained to spread broadcast but 
where manure or chemical fertilizer and cotton seed meal are used 
is as follows : The ground is turned in the same manner and at 
the same time as above described, eliminating the use of the sub- 
soiler at the time of the turning. After the ground is turned, lister 
furrows should be opened as for cotton. If manure is used, it 
should be spread in this furrow, after which the subsoiler is used. 
This mixes and turns under the manure. If chemicals and cotton 
seed meal are used it should be applied in furrows after subsoil- 
ing is done or about planting time. When the planting furrow is 
opened up with the lister, the subsoil furrow containing the fer- 
tilizer will be partially or wholly covered up. Before planting, a 
subsoil furrow is run in the bottom of the plant row as shown in 
figure 21. This shows the subsoil furrows under the plant row 
and also between rows. The use of a subsoil furrow in the plant- 
ing row gives a loose seed bed. It is a good plan to apply cotton 
seed meal in the planting row after subsoiling. 

Where no manure or fertilizers are used the ground should be 
broken and prepared in the same manner as above, using the same 
method of subsoiling both in the plant row^s and between the rows. 

Too much cannot be said regarding the subsoil method, as 
subsoil furrows are exceedingly valuable not only to retain the 
moisture but to retain the substance of the fertilizers which is 
carried dowij by the percolation of water through the loose, well 
worked soil. These furrows are especially valuable where the 
land is rolling and such fertilizing material is liable to be carried 
out of the soil by water percolation at the time of heavy rains. 

Second, where corn is planted fiat. Under this method we 
also consider the raising of corn with or without fertilizers as 
follows : 

Where manure is spread broadcast over the ground, and turned 
under as more fully described under "Fertilizing," it can be further 
stated that the subsoiling should be done at the time the ground is 
turned. At planting time the usual lister furrow between the 
plant rows is opened up and subsoiled. If artificial fertilizers are 
to be used they should be used in this furrow as more fully de- 
scribed elsewhere. Before corn is planted, the rows should be laid 
cfif with a subsoiler, subsoiling about 14 inches deep. This opera- 
tion leaves the ground practically flat, after which the corn is 

30 



planted four to five inches deep on this subsoil furrow. If cotton 
seed meal is used in this furrow, it is used with the planter, using 
the usual attachment. 

In raising corn without fertilizers, the usual subsoil furrows 
are run in the bottom of lister furrows between rows, thirty to 
sixty days before planting time. ,\t planting time the plant row 
is also laid off with the subsoiler in the same manner as described 
above. This subsoiling is done to provide moist beds to receive 
the corn roots. 




FIGURE 21— Shows the use of the subsoiler in both the plant 
row itself and in the furrows first opened between the plant rows. 
This is the method employed In planting corn. 

In cultivating the usual harrow is used before the corn comes 
up, after which cultivation is carried on in the usual methods 
from three to four inches deep while the corn is still young, con- 
tmually throwing the dirt to the corn. The cultivation of the corn 
by this method will cover up the lister furrow between rows con- 
taining the moisture. After the corn is four to six inches high, 
deep cultivation should be discontinued, and the corn should be 
cultivated to a depth of only one to two inches. The subsoil furrow 
should be kept open until it is found that the roots of the corn 
have begun to enter into it, after which it should not be disturbed. 

Sec. 3. 

IRISH POTATOES 

In preparing land for Irish potatoes, if manure is to be used 
broadcast, the land should be prepared and fertilized as described 
elsewhere. The land should be turned from ten to tv.elve inches 
deep and the same method of running the subsoiler behind the 
turning plow should be lused. If the farmer has not the facilities 
to work his land in this manner, the writer finds it a^lvisable and 
agreeable to co-operate with his neighbor, one to do rhe plowing, 
the other following close behind with the subsoiler. This work 
should be done as early as possible or at least sixty to ninety days 
before planting. Another method of fertilizing potati.^ ground is — 
by placing manure in the lister furrows and runnint; subsoiler at 
that time. If the ground is prepared in this way, as stated before, 

31 



the subsoiler is not used at the time the land is turned. In the case 
manure is distributed in the subsoil furrow and it is not entirely 
covered by the subsoiler, a bull tongue should be run around the 
furrow and the manure fully covered. This is especially necessary 
if chemicals are used. When potato planting time arrives, the 
furrow containing the manure or fertilizer should be thoroughly 
stirred by opening up with a shovel plow or sweep. This also 
provides a furrow to receive the seed potato. After the potatoes 
are planted i8 to 20 inches apart, the seed should be covered 5 to 6 
inches deep by running around with a bull tongue or small plow. 
After the potato has sprouted and all danger of frost is past, a 
light harrow should be run over the top of the row to take about 
two inches of soil off the top of the plant. Harrowing between 
rows should be done to keep down weed growth. During cultiva- 
tion, the soil should be constantly added to the plant by running 
around the row with a bull tongue. Care should be taken not 10 
disturb or tear up the plant bed. This operation, will, after the 
plant has reached a good growth, result in forming a bed with a 
furrow between rows. In case of dry weather and when going 
through the furrow the last time, or at any time, if conditions 
become dry and rain is needed, the sweep should be lifted up every 
five to ten feet, thereby making a small dam across the furrow 
which will catch and retain any rain which may fall. 

Before gathering time the furrows between the rows in which 
dams have been constructed, should be opened, if rain has been 
plentiful and the ground is wet, so that the potato beds may dry 
out as thoroughly as possible, before the crop is gathered. 

Sec. 4. 

ALFALFA, WHEAT AND OATS 

In the raising of alfalfa, wheat, oats, etc., a great increase in 
stand and production can' be obtained by carefully preparing the 
soil, using the same methods employed in preparing soil for cotton, 
except that every furrow should be subsoiled. Before the seed is 
planted the land should be turned deep and each furrow subsoiler' 
as deep as possible. This plan provides a vast field of moisture 
preservers consisting of subsoil furrows which receive the roots 
and promote growth, which in the case of alfalfa is very essential, 
the success of the crop depending upon a good stand the first year. 

Sec. 5- 
TOMATOES AND SWEET POTATOES 

In the cultivation and raising of tomatoes and sweet potatoes 

32 



the writer liiuls great results 1)\' preparing the ground in the same 
manner as for Irish potatoes and if manure or fertilizer is used 
this is also applied in the same manner. When planting time arrives 
the fertilizer or subsoil furrows are opened up in the same manner 
as for Irish potatoes, after which the fertilized soil is turned back 
into the same furrow. This is done merely to stir and mix the 
feitilizer with the soil and forms a rich mellow bed for the plants. 
In the planting of tomatoes the subsoil furrow is opened and 
turned back again as described above. This forms a small rich bed 
to receive the tomato plants. The same method of constantlj' turn- 
ing the soil to the plant is used, forming the same furrows between 
rows. Small dams should also be constructed between rows as 
more fully described in other articles, to retain the rainfall. The 
advantage of these small dams and the subsoil furrow l)etvvecn the 




FIGL'liE 22 — Shows a view of Kaffir corn and .sweet poiatnes, 
during the hot weather last year. The potatoes shown produced 150 
bushels to the acre and the Kafflr corn 30 bushels of seed per acre 
and three tons of fodder. 



plant rows can be readily seen. The water retained by the dams 
will filter through into the subsoil furrow, which forms a vast bed 
of moist rich soil for the reception of the plant roots. One or two 
rains will be sufficient to make a good crop provided care has been 
exercised to follow the above method. 

During the season of 191 1, which is known to have been an 
exceptionally dry year, the writer obtained excellent results in 
the raising of tomatoes and sweet potatoes, by this method where 
all others failed. 

33 



How to Dig and Care For Sweet Potatoes. 

Great care should be used in digging and storing sweet potatoes 
to prevent bruising and freezing. The writer finds it a good plan 
to never dig potatoes while the ground is wet and if dug while 
the ground is wet or damp, the potatoes should be allowed to 
remain in the field until they are thoroughly dried, before placing 
in cellar or ricks in field. If potatoes are stored while wet, the 
wet soil adhering to the potato will cause black spots to form 
which later develop into dry rot. 

Sweet potatoes if stored in cellars should be piled upon shelves 
made of slats to allow for circulation of air. the shelves to be 




FIGURE 23 — Shows some of the tomatoes raised by Mr. Kasmeier 
the past season. He produced 220 bushels per acre. 

placed in vertical rows about one foot apart. Another good plan, 
to keep potatoes in cellars, is to pack them in dry sand in layers 
one foot thick. 

In storing in ricks in fields, a successful method is to first make 
a flooring of logs or long fence posts. Then lay crosswise on top 
of this a flooring of corn stalks. This forms a flooring which 
permits air circulation. The potatoes are then placed on the floor 
in shape of a mound, covering them first with corn stalks, after 
which the rick is covered with enough earth to prevent freezing. 
An opening should be left on top of rick to provide for air circu- 
lation. The ends of the logs in floor should be left uncovered 



to allow the air to enter under the floor and i)ass through the 
potatoes and out at the top. Jn case of extremely cold weather, 
cover ends of logs and also top to keep out cold freezing air. The 
potatoes will go through a process of sweating when first ricked. 
The bottom vents should remain open until the potatoes stop sweat- 
ing after which the bottom vents can be permanently closed. 

In transporting potatoes from field, wicker paskets should be 
used, instead of wire baskets as the latter bruises the potatoes. 
The handling of potatoes in sacks also injures and bruises the 
potato. 

It is very important that the potatoes be harvested before the 
vines are touched by the frost, as a very light frost on the vines 
before the potatoes are harvested will cause them to rot soon 
after being stored. In case that the frost should touch the vines 
before the potatoes are dug, the vines should be immediately cut 
off or pulled up before the effect of the frost injures the potatoes. 

Sec. 6. 
ORCHARDS AND FORESTRY 

The system of subsoiling as described elsewhere in this book 
may be and is extremely valuable for orchards and also for plant- 
ing forests. In orchards the rows of trees should be planted flat 
or above the subsoil furrow. The subsoil furrows from one and 
one-half to two and one-half feet deep or as deep and wide as 
possible, should be made under the row before the trees are set 
out, and also between rows. The orchards should be kept clean by 
cultivating and the subsoil furrow between rows should be opened 
or re-subsoiled every year in the fall. As it is usually the custom 
to place orchards on hill-sides, it is deemed advisable to lay off 
rows around the hill so the drainage will not be too heavy, but 
should be so located that the orchard will drain in case of excessive 
rainfall. The roots of the trees will run along the ground to the 
subsoil furrow where in case of exceptionally dry weather, a suffi- 
cient amount of moisture will be found. A good plan is to place 
in these subsoil furrows dead leaves, rotten wood, corn stalks or 
anything which will have a tendency to enrich the soil and hold 
the moisture. This forms a fertilized bed from w^hich the trees 
receive a great amount of nourishment. 

Those desiring to put in forests will find the same theory of 
subsoiling useful as it w^ould insure the preservation of a great 
amount of moisture, especially with the assistance of small dams 
constructed across the furrows. The roots of trees will eventually 
hunt low moist places, the moisture being more useful at the ends 
of the roots than near the body of the tree. This suggestion is 
especially valuable for railroads and others who are more vitally 
interested in forestry. Where forests are put out or planted on a 



large scale, a traction engine should be used in plowing and sub- 
soiling, the subsoil furrows being carried down as deep as possible. 
You have often, perhaps, wondered why it is that large forests 
do not grow in parts of Oklahoma and Texas, and on the great 
plains and why it is difficult to grow orchards. The soil is just as 
rich as where trees of all kinds flourish, and the weather is even 
more favorable. A long study of the question has convinced me 
that these are the reasons : First, there is not sufficient moisture 
to make the trees flourish ; Second, the rain that does fall is not 
properly conserved, running off before it has time to penetrate, on 
account of the winds keeping the ground clear of leaves that would 
otherwise preserve the moisture. 

Such trees as do get a start, such as our trees in central and 
western Oklahoma, have roots going straight down to the sub- 
moisture. These roots are barely sufficient to keep the tree alive 
and give it a meagre growth, but the feeder roots, that make a 
tree flourish and grow large, are almost entirely lacking, on account 
of the absence of moisture in the soil where the feeder roots would 
naturally grow. 

I am convinced that if forests were treated in the same manner 
as orchards, according to the methods I have described above, we 
could raise just as good forests on the uplands of the territory 
between the 20th and 25th meridians as in the river bottoms of this 
district or in any other state. 

If our prairie countries were planted in forests and cultivated 
by methods discussed in this book, practically the entire rainfall 
would be retained, preventing the great overflows of our rivers and 
streams, thereby saving immense tracts of land from overflow. 

}Vhat Forestry Has Done. 

"Many people in this country think that forestry had never 
been tried until the Government began to practice it upon the 
National Forests. Yet forestry is practiced by every civilized coun- 
try in the world, except China and Turkey. It gets results which can 
be obtained in no other way, and which are necessary to the general 
welfare. Forestry is not a new thing. It was discussed two thou- 
sand years ago, and it has been studied and applied with increasing 
thoroughness ever since. The principles of forestry are every- 
where the same. They rest on natural laws, which are at work 
everywhere and all the time. It is simply a question of how best 
to apply these laws to fit local needs and conditions. No matter 
how widely countries may differ in size, climate, population, indus- 
try, or government, provided only they have forests, all of them 
must come to forestry some time as a matter of necessity." 

"The more advanced and progressive countries arrive first 
and go farthest in forestry, as they do in other things. Indeed, 

36 



we might almost take forestry as a yardstick uitii uliich to measure 
the height of civilization. On the one hand, the nations which 
follow forestry most widely and systematically would be found to 
be the most enlightened nations. On the other hand, when we 
applied our yardstick to such countries as are without forestry, 
we could say with a good deal of assurance. I)y this test alone, 
'Here is a backward nation.' " 

"The countries of Europe and Asia, taken together, iiave 
passed through all the stages of forest history and applied all the 
known principles of forestry. They are rich in forest experience. 
The lessons of forestry were brought home to them by hard knocks. 
Their forest systems were built up gradually as the result of hard- 
ship. They did not first spin fine theories and then apply those 
theories by main force. On the contrary, they began by facing 
disagreeable facts. Every step of the way toward wise forest use, 
the world over, has been made at the sharp spur of want, suffering, 
or loss. As a result, the science of forestry is one of the most 
practical and most directly useful of all the sciences. It is a 
serious work, undertaker! as a measure of relief, and continued 
as a safeguard against future calamity." 




FIGURE 24 — Shows IMr. Kasmeier's success with cotton on the 
highly manured soil of a cattle pen, where a farm demonstrator and 
a practical farmer had failed successively, using the old methods. 
Mr. Kasmeier, emjiloying his new ideas, raised an excellent crop the 
past season in a cattle pen worked for the first time. 



Sec. 7. 
CULTIVATION OF HIGHLY MANURED SOIL 

By following my method of farming, immense crops may be 
raised on highly manured land. By referring to figure No. 24 it 
will be seen that I raised a heavy crop of cotton on a portion of a 
cattle pen worked for the first time, upon which others, including 
an expert farmer, had made a failure under their methods, although 
under much more favorable conditions. This land, though covered 
with manure 4 to 6 inches deep, produced under my theory of farm- 
ing over one bale of cotton to the acre, this being the first time the 
soil was cultivated. Some of the most expert farmers of the state 
attempted to demonstrate cotton raising on highly manured land, 
but only produced two bales off of four and one-half acres. This 
four and one-half acres had been farmed four years prior to this 
season, but had been used as a feeding pen in the past. My expe- 
rience with this crop disproved the theory that too much manure 
is detrimental. It may, however, be injurious to crops to use too 
much manure if the land is not properly cultivated. 

Sec. 8. 
PREPARING VEGETABLE BEDS 

Land for the raising of all kinds of vegetables should be 
well fertilized with manure, if same is obtainable, and carefully 
prepared, by deep plowing in the winter, the same as for other 
crops, using a little lime at the time of turning land. About 2 or 
3 weeks before planting time, or long enough time to allow the 




FIGURE 25 — Shows preparation of garden beds for all kinds of 
vegetables. 

soil in beds to settle and pack, before planting, beds about four 
feet wide should be laid off as shown in figure 25. The lister 
furrows, with which the beds are laid off, should be about 32 inches 
wide at top, and one foot wide at bottom, or wide enough to serve 
as a path as well as for watering purposes. The advantage of this 
method is readily seen, that it enables the gardener to reach all 
parts of the beds without walking on, or tramping down the beds 
and plants. In case of rain the water runs off the round surface 
of the beds into the ditches, where it is held in the furrows by 
small dams at intervals and soaks into the beds, from the bottom. 
Where water is applied artificially, it is also applied by means of 

38 



the ditches, reaching the plant from l)cncath. and thereby preventing 
wilting even in the hottest weather. 

All small vegetables, sucit as radishes, lettuce, turnips, onions, 
etc., should be planted on these beds in rows, six to eight inches 
apart. This is done to allow the surface of the bed to be worked 
very shallow and kept loose, allowing the moisture contained in the 
bed to be drawn up near the surface, where it is reached by the 
roots. In hot climates water should always be applied on the roots, 
and never on the plants. The planting in rows allows space for 
applying commercial fertilizers and cotton seed meal. About 20 
pounds of cotton seed meal and 10 pounds of potash should be used 
iii a row, say 100 feet long. This fertilizer should be applied be- 
tween every row, three to four inches deep, and covered. The use 
of cotton seed meal provides a good supply of nitrogen, which gives 
health and vitality to the plants. The fertilizer used in this man- 
ner should be stirred and worked often, care being used not to 
disturb roots of plants. 

Cabbage should be planted, cultivated and fertilized in the same 
manner as tomatoes and sweet potatoes, that is, by fertilizing early 
in lister furrows that have been subsoiled, and opened up and stirred 
at planting time, which makes the plant row in the same row con- 
taining the fertilizer. 

Peas, beans, etc., should be planted in rows two feet apart, 
the land for same having previously been prepared in the same 
manner as for other crops. When ready to plant, a furrow is run, 
as deep as possible, with a Georgia stock and bull tongue. Cotton 
seed meal (and hulls if obtainable), and potash are then applied 
in these furrows and then covered up. The beans, peas, etc.. are 
then planted flat, half way between these rows containing the fer- 
tilizer, about the same amount of meal and potash, as above is used. 

Too much cannot be said in regard to preparing and fertilizing 
the land before planting time, and if you expect to get good results 
in gardening, select only the best of seed, regardless of the price. 
Money invested in good seed is money well spent. Deal directly 
with reputable seed houses, and always keep a complete record of 
all seed planted, by so doing you can soon learn the best quality 
of seed to buy. 

CHAPTER VI. 
A Word of Advice to My Fellow Farmers. 

Kind reader. I would request your kind attention, and a dose 
study of every word in this little book, which deals with systematic 
and scientific gardening and farming, and also the care of orchards, 
vineyards, forests and small fruits of all kinds. 

Before going further I would like to call your attention to the 
method of farming, soil and water preservation of the noble south- 

39 



crn farmer of sixty years ago, who was in those days commonly 
called by the plantation negroes "Old Massa." When this good old 
Massa settled upon a tract of virgin land in the beautiful south 
and cleared from the land the mighty forest, he planned and de- 
veloped a system for preserving every furrow of the precious 
soil. V He laid off his plant rows around the hills, instead of up 
and down. He constructed circular ditches and water furrows to 
take care of the heavy rains in such a manner as would preserve 
the soil. When the tourist in these days visited the Sunny South, 
he noticed the wonderful progress of our great cotton belt. Where 
before had stood the forests covering the hills and the valleys, 
appeared a scene of prosperity. The conditions then were brought 
about by the employment of scientific methods of holding and tilling 
the soil. This "Old Massa" was, in other words, a business farmer 
with a system, and this kind of farming, just like any other busi- 
ness run on a system, was bound to succeed. The world at large 
in those days would call the cotton industry a golden treasury. 
All this was through him, the "Old Massa," being a business farmer. 

But what has happened since those days? Has your father or 
yourself, dear reader, practiced this "Old Massa's" methods or 
followed in his footsteps? Have you made the same success at 
farming? We must bow our heads in sorrow, — we have not! Look 
ai the hills that at one time towered, monurnents to prosperity! 
Look at them now, robbed of their crown of prosperity, devastated 
by haphazard farming methods, done by rooters rather than farmers. 

Now, kind reader, it matters not in what walk of life you may 
be, whether a railroad president, an oil king, a banker, merchant 
or farmer, we should get together. Let us practice and continue 
to improve our farming_ along scientific methods instead of pur- 
suing our course of murdering the soil. We shape our own destiny. 
Our future progress and prosperity depend upon our co-operation 
and improved methods of cultivating the soil. 

Dear brother farmer, we do not appreciate and have been slow 
to accept the assistance that has been offered by our government 
and business organizations. Look at our experimental stations that 
have been established throughout the entire country and the demon- 
stration trains run by the railroads. Are these for the benefit of 
railroads and business men alone? No, they are for the farmer 
also. They try to improve and help him in his work, but the farmer 
is slow to accept. These stations are backed by the railroads and 
the business people, and not by the farmers. The experts at these 
stations frankly admit that they do not know all about farming, — 
but neither do we. We can, by co-operating with these stations 
and using improved methods, greatly increase our production upon 
land that we have in the past pronounced worthless. 

Had 75 per cent of the farmers of Oklahoma and other drought- 



itricken states practiced the methods of sixty years ago, they would 
have made at least one-half a crop where we have made nothing. 
You may look about you and you will see farmers selling their 
blooded stock. Why? Because they just naturally have not made 
enough feed to keep them and tlicy themselves seek a country 
where it rains regularly, and arc again disappointed. The result 
i?, you hear tiie familiar cry "high cost of living." Therefore, let 
our business farmers, who constitute not mor/- than 25 per cent 
ot our seven million farmers and gardeners get together and co- 
operate with our business men such as 1 have mentioned above, 
and I am confident that we will reduce the high cost of living. If 
these business farmers will co-operate with the railroads, bankers, 
merchants and millers, it will then be a pleasure to farm and market 
our products. System is what we most need. Without system 
none of our railroads, factories or governments could have suc- 
ceeded. If system succeeds with a large concern, then it will suc- 
ceed with the farmer. The Union Pacific railroad employs 25.000 
men. Suppose the president of this road should throw the reins 
with which he controls the system, into the hands of his 25.000 
employees to manage. Do you believe that the trains would be run 
or. time? We are compelled to admit there would soon be no rail- 
road. So it is with our vast army of farmers who have no system 
and no living, and hlamo our railroads and banks and merchants 
as the cause. On the other hand I am confident that if you farmers 
without a system would get together and employ improved methods 
in your farming and systematically market and handle your prod- 
ucts, you would then cease to blame these large concerns, and would 
work together with them. — then what a mighty power you would be ! 
The farmer, with his up-to-date implements and machinery, 
has not made the same progress that has marked other lines of 
business. In fact, his methods will not compare with those of the 
farmer with his wooden plow of sixty or seventy years ago. 

CHAPTER VII 
A FEW USEFUL METHODS 
To Make Fruit A Sure Crop. 

TO insure a crop of all kinds of fruit every year. I use a 
method that I learned from an neighbor in northern Ala- 
bama. He had always raised fruit, of good size and quality, 
"even when others raised none. His method was this: After a 
hard freeze in the winter, when the ground had been chilled to 
a considerable depth, he would haul leaves and scatter deep over 
the ground for a radius of about five or six feet about the tree 
and weight them down with brush or chunks or wood. This would 
keep the frost in the ground, and also the moisture. When the 
warm days came, even though the ends of the roots would be livened 

41 



up, the sap would not start, on account of the roots near the tree 
still being cold and the bloom would be kept back until all danger 
of frost was over. The result was that when the sap did start and 
the tree bloomed, the blossoms stayed on, and produced fruit. The 
moisture preserved in the ground by the leaves helped to develop 
the fruit and a fine crop always resulted. For the same purpose 
1 have used cotton seed hulls, spoiled hay, straw and other things 
of the kind. It is good treatment for apples, peaches, plums or any 
kind of fruit. 

The writer has improved upon the method of his neighbor in 
northern Alabama. He has not only studied fruit culture in the 
sand hills, but also in the river bottoms. It will be noticed that 
wherever the frost is retained in the ground around the roots, 
the bloom is always late, consequently the fruit is not killed by the 
frost. Where orchards are located on the sides of sand hills, and 
where the ground has been frozen in the winter, a mulch is formed 
in the sand one to three inches deep when the ground begins to 
thaw. This mulch acts as an insulator on the frost below the mulch, 
and retains it there long enough to hold the sap down, thereby 
preventing an early bloom. This same theory likewise applies to 
gumbo districts, that is, when the thaw starts it forms a mulch one 
to three inches deep on top of the ground and holds the frost the 
same as on the sandy hillsides. Where orchards are located in 
sandy loam, this will not be the case, as the ground thaws out 
much faster, and furthermore never freezes as deep. It is very 
essential to use the leaves and hay around the trees after a hard 
freeze to keep the frost in the ground. This should be applied 
usually in January or February. If hard freezes continue after 
this has been applied, this insulation should be removed, allowing 
all the frost possible to enter the ground, after which it should be 
covered again, and left until the trees bloom. 

Marketing Crops. 

Xow, kind reader, after you have studied this little book and 
practiced its ways of farming and trucking, you will no doubt raise 
abundant crops. The question then is how to best market them. 
Do you consult with your banker, merchant or miller about the 
price of the same and the quantity and quality raised throughout 
the country? No doubt you have lived in a drought or wet dis- 
trict, and formed the idea by associating with your neighboring 
truckers and farmers, that everything was burned up or drowned 
out and you were going to have a big price for your truck. Then 
you will load up and come to market. There are always plenty of 
buyers known and unknown to you. You will be surprised at the 
price they offer you for your truck. As you have to have money, 
you dispose of your products to them, or dispose of a part and 
store the rest for a higher price. But nine times out of ten this 



higher price does nut conic. \'ou have been merely a figure board, 
and you will then condemn the banker and merchant and miller; 
but the buyers will wink at each other and laugh up their sleeves 
and say that if it was not for those block-headed farmers they 
could not make a living. You return home and say there is no 
market for your products, only a dumping place. 

Now, my friends, why don't you get together and form an 
association with your bankers and merchants and millers? They 
know what is raised throughout the country and by marketing direct 
to the people who need your products you will cut out the middle- 
man's profit, and instead of having a dumping place you will have 
a marketing place. The banker, merchant and miller are for your 
interests, iot you and them to prosper together. I for my part 
would like to call such an association the Southern Cotton and Corn 
Growing, Marketing and Banking Association. 

Fattening Hogs. 

Sweet potatoes, such as the Southern Queen, tomatoes and the 
like, make a good frame and may be fed up to fattening time. 
Then take 200 pounds of corn chops, 100 pounds of cotton seed 
meal, put same in a wooden tub the evening before it is wanted for 
use, scald with boiling water, stir thoroughly to make a mash. Mix 
only enough to last the next day. This will make a sweet and 
delicious feed for your hogs. Add enough water to the feed to 
make a thin slop, and never feed more than the hogs will eat. 

Then try this : Add a little salt to the scalded feed, put it in 
a baking pan and bake it as you would corn bread. When you go 
home for lunch about nine or ten o'clock, break a piece off and give 
it to your horse or mule, then watch him pull your cultivator ! 

This feed should never be allowed to sour or ferment. I would 
like for the experiment stations to try this method of fattening hogs. 
I actually believe that fifty to sixty pounds of this feed will make 
from twelve to fifteen pounds of meat. 

As to smutty corn for feeding. Never feed whole. In shuck- 
ing, be very careful to throw out all the worst ears, or don't shuck 
them at all. Then take this corn, shell it and have it ground into 
chops. For feeding take three parts of corn chops and one part 
of cotton seed meal, and moisten same. This will prevent blind 
staggers. 

Another feed the value of which I would like to impress upon 
the intelligent farmers and truckers is wheat straw. VVe should all 
try to sow in the fall a few acres of wheat. In the first place, you 
will save many a dollar on flour, for which you now pay a dollar 
and a quarter to a dollar and a half for forty or fifty pounds. You 
can easily raise in Oklahoma and Texas from ten to fifteen bushels 
of wheat to the acre. By doing so. an acre would net you from 
fifteen to twenty dollars, and in addition would produce from one 

« 

43 



to one and one-half tons of feed. On the same land can then be < 
planted June corn. Kaffir corn, or a crop of sweet potatoes can be 
raised by planting runners from the vines planted early in the spring. 

The wheat straw should be carefully stacked so as to keep it 
from spoiling, and in the fall take your feed cutting machine, which 
is driven by a small gasoline engine, and chop up and store the straw 
away in your barn. To feed, mix three parts of corn chops, one 
part of cotton seed meal, and the straw chops. Add a little salt, 
if desired, and sprinkle over it enough water at feeding time for 
each feed, to keep it from being dusty. Feed just enough so there 
will be none left in the trough. Use good tight troughs, made of 
wood. By using this feed, you will need no hay. This feed is 
good for horses, mules, cows, sheep, etc. To fatten steers, use 3 
parts cotton seed meal, i part corn chops and the straw chops. 

Every good farmer should own a gasoline engine. It is a 
cheap power and the invention of the gasoline engine has made 
it possible for every farmer to grind his own feed as it should 
be ground, at a minimum cost. All feed should be ground on the 
farm. 

CHAPTER VIII 
Should Consider Rainfall. 

IN awarding the prizes for corn and cotton raising, the agricul- 
tural experiment stations and the farm demonstrators should 
consider in connection with the yield the total rainfall which 
the crop obtained. 

During the past season, the rains in Oklahoma were local. 
Showers might fall for several days even in the same section of the 
state, and yet only part of that section get the benefit of the rain. 
In some neighboring localities the past season there was a great 
difference in the amount of rain. One section, for instance, had 
but eight inches total, while another section only a comparatively 
short distance away, had sixteen to twenty inches. In the corn 
and cotton growing contests it is not fair to put the crop that had 
the lesser rainfall on the same plane with that which had more. 
The rainfall should figure in the awarding of the prizes, and the 
best comparative yield should be the basis for the judging. 




IN CONCLUSION 



IN concluding this little treatise, 1 desire to express my appre- 
ciation of the fact that my theories will not perhaps be received 
enthusiastically everywhere. It may be that some of my readers 
have far different ideas, — others may have tried approximately the 
same methods that I propose, without success. Far different con- 
ditions exist in different parts of the country. Some conditions 
might not be suitable for the application of the methods that I 
advise. Some farmers after trying some of my methods, may de- 
clare them to be a failure. I would respectfully ask, however, that 
before my methods are condemned that they be tried out fully and 
in every detail. The first trial may not be entirely satisfactory, — 
some little essential detail may be overlooked, — but I am confident 
from my own experience that a careful study and application of 
these methods will bring sure results. I have tried them in widely 
varying soils, under different climati conditions, and in various 
p;irts of the south. I have no apology to offer for submitting them 
to the public, as I have been successful with farming, using these 
methods, where my neighbors, using other methods, have failed. 
My friends and the business men who are familiar with my work 
know that I have made a success of it, and urged me to present 
my views to the public. I have now done so, and if the knowledge 
submitted herein benefits only a few of my readers, then I feel 
that this book will be the success that farmilig has been with me, 
uiuler the theories here set forth. 




45 



NOTES OF INTEREST 



The first tariff was in 1789. 



Silk was first made in 1850. 



Homeopathy was introduced in 1825. 



Women first voted in Wyoming in 1870. 



The phonograph was first heard in 1877. 



Sewing-machines were first used in 1846. 



The patent-right law was enacted in 1790. 



The first steamboat plied the Hudson in 1837. 



The first adoption of standard time was in 1883. 



The capital was established at Washington, 1800. 



The first canal was opened in 1804. in Connecticut. 
The first dental office was opened in New York in i; 



The first assay office was established at New York in 1854. 



The Department of Agriculture was made an executive one in 
1888. 



In 1767, William Lyie. of New York, made the first hot-air 
furnace. 



The first President, Washington, was inaugurated April 30, 1789. 



Cotton was first raised in Virginia in 1621, and first exported 
in 17-1/. The first cotton mill was operated in New Hampshire, 
1803. 



The first disccncry of iietrok-uin was in i.S(jo, in Pennsylvania. 



Iron was discovered in X'ir^inia in 1715. and <^()\(\ in Califurnia 
in 1S4S. 



Tlie lirst ship to carry our Hag around the world was the ship 
C'olumhia. 17S0-1790. 



The first woman to write M. 1). after her name was Elizaheth 
Hlackwell, in iS^g. 



The first woman lawyer was Miss Manstleld. who hung- out her 
shingle in iHOg. 



The hrst agricultural fair was held at Cieorgetown, District of 
L'olumhia, in iSio. 



The first telegraph message was sent from Washington to 
Baltimore, May 27. 1S44. 



Vaccination was introduced into the United States in 1800 hy 
Dr. Waterhouse, of Harvard University. 



To Connecticut belongs the honor of establishing the tirst 
experimental station. This was in 1875. 



The hrst State to add a star to the constitution of thirteen was 
Illinois, admitted December 3, 1818. 



' The hrst bridge of any kind erected across the Mississi])pi 

l^iver was completed in January. 1835, at Minneapolis. 



The first hospital was established in Pennsylvania. February 7, 
175 1. The Pennsylvania Hospital it was called. 



The first patent on a stove for burning anthracite coal was 
taken out In- .\nthony Savage, of Pottsville. Pennsylvania, in 1830. 



The first voyage of an American vessel around the world was 
made by the ship Columbia, from Boston, starting September 30. 
1787. 



Edison's telephone was first used at the World's Fair, Phil- 
adelphia, 1876, but it was two years later before there was one in 
public use. 



The first steamer, the Savannah, crossed the Atlantic, from 
Savannah to Liverpool, in 1819, starting May 24 and crossing in 
twenty-five days. 



The Weather Bureau was established in 1870, Increase Lapham 
and Henry Paine framing the law which established the signal- 
office at Washington. 



As an example to show how our land is wasted, Germany with 
all her 60,000,000 people could live in Oklahoma and the entire 
population of the United States could live and prosper in the state 
of Texas and would have products to export if the proper scientific 
methods and care were used in farming the soil. 



The quail is the farmer's friend and should be protected by 
him, instead of being slaughtered, as they are the best exterminators 
of worms and insects in the fields. 




48 



«HAWNKK. OKI.A. January 26th 1912, 

Mr. John Kasmeier, 
Shawnee, Oklahoma,, 

Dear sir: - 

SoTnet-iTTie during- the later p.-3rt of Septcnber 
I had the pleasure of int'pecting the cotton crop grown 
and cultivated hy you on your f^rm West of the City 
under your dry farming system, and having a preat deal 
of experience in cotton raising. I freely admit that 
the method used, which 1 understand Is peculiarly your 
own, if practiced generally- in this country, would 
m.«terially increase the yield and decrease the cost 
of production. 

I understand that you gathered 2845 lbs. 
of seed cotton per acre off this land, and I believe 
that there was fully one-third of the bolls that 
never opened on accolint of early freeze. In addition 
to this, there was a row of Irish potatoes grown bet- 
ween each row of cotton, which resulted in a fair 
yield and a good quantity, and I an inclinedto believe 
that if the farmers of this country would take up this 
method of farming, that a plan coald be worked out by 
which the yield on any given amount of ground would 
be more than doubled. 

As a nile wc do not use enough syst^ in 
our farming and trust to luck, and I will ontcx 
into any campaign tr lend any assistance that might 
pronot e or enccrage a movemont leading to an Imp- 
rovement in our present method of farming. 

I am glad to see you cone forward with this 
system which I believe, when worked out, will j rovr 
successful in its application, and I believe It is 
entitled to the favorable consideration of those 
interested. ' 



Yours truly 




PEN DLETOr 



Shawnee, Okla. , Jan. 3l6t.l912. 



Ht. John Kasmeiar, 

S haw nee, Oklahoma. 



3or 8l r: 



I aiD anxiously waiting the advpnt of that boolt 
giving your method of farming. Uy eon anil myself vlelte'l 
your farm about the middle of laat Cotober, and I never was 
more surprised. After talktg for t'-o or three weeks with 
every one I met, to men that had lived in this country all 
the way from five to twenty one years and each and every 
one said they never saw anything to oompare with the year 
1911, as to dryness and failure of orors. but when we entered 
your farm It looked aa though you had bten having plenty of , 

rain, but the crops all around you showed that there was som- 
thlng else. It must have been the man"behlnd the gun", The 
cotton was Irom. or looked to be from, 5 to 6 feet high and was 
literally loaded with bollis from top to the bottom. In fact 
they Were hanging In clusters and looked as though It would 
make one and one quarter or one and one half bales per acre. 

We nert visited your potato patch and the ridges 
•ere large ind 8eemo4 to be full of potatoes Kelt we visited 
the tomato patch, which was one quarter ol an acre, and you 
assured us that you had sold ^126.00 worth of toipatoes off 
this peioe of land. How this was the greatest surprise of the 
trip, for I lived last year In the famous Rio "rande River 
valley, near San Benito Tex. which is in the irrigated dis- 
trict. The land is as rich as the valley of the Hlle and the 
water can be tarned at will, and I never saw anything there to 
compare with your orops. 

How It^seema to me if the people would adopt your 
method of farming on solentflo principles , farming on intanslws 
Instead of the ertanslve Plan, It would revolutlonlie the farming 
Industry . Why not get 1^ to Z bales instead of 1 baia to avery 
2 to 18 acres of ground. 

There are people around me now fixing their ground 
for cotton using an old Oaorgia stock »1th the old -fashion 
Georgia twister being pulled with one small pony, making what 
they call, back East, a hard bed, plowing the land ^bout three 
Inches deep, which will do If it rains plenty-,' but If a drought 
atrlkes tolm it Is gone. I am aslng a nine Inch plow, plowing 
8 »oi 10 inches deep dragging down behind me. 

Wishing you more Buoess in future, I am. 

Tours truly ^y ^^ 

Saneral Delivery JcxT^ ^/ "^ V^'^"^-'^ 



• / ^ 



The Shawnee National Bank 

Capital -no So«Pi.u5 S120,000.»? 



SHAWNEE. OKLA. 



Jan, 30,1912, 



To Whom Concarned: 

I have personally and. closely investi- 
gated the methods employed by Mr. John Keslnere in grow- 
ing cotton, season 1911, under very dry condition of the 
soil, and also noticed, with a greaft deal of interest, 
other experiments tried by him. both on cotton and other 
crops, ana I am thoroughly convinced, that the methods 
he employes are of great value to the farmer. 



Yours very Tftapsotfully , 



HTD/A 




resident. 



Halle Y-M^HiTE OLonrmivG Co. i^*'- 



SUAWXEE. OKL.JV. . J OMuaT^ 30,, _ . ■»l2^ 

lir. John Kaamelr, 

9ia«ne«, Okla. 

1 
Dear air; 

Tour fanr jiroduct display 1 aaw in the 9iaHnoe National BanV 
of this City a few weeks ago, certainly proves that a crop Can be 
raised in Oklahona rain or no rain. 

Your showing of cotton, kaffir com sweet potatoes, Irish Potatoes, 
and tomatoes etc. was a fine a sample as ] ever saw at any Stat* 
or County Pair anywhere during a good seasonabl'; year. 

It would Certainly be a great boon to every farmer in Oklahona to 
know your method of Dry Farming, 

iours Truly 



Of Hall ay Wilte Clotiiinfi- Co. 



The NewmanPlumbing Co. 

Sanitary plumbing 

G»i. SIE«« «N0 HOT Water Heating 
ii«S AND electric f IHTUREa 

Shawnee. Otia Deconbar 1911 

Ur. Jno. Kaaneier, 

9iaimee, Okla. 
Dear sir;- 

Uy recent visit to your little suburban home and r.^ra , and nhat 
I saw there, was such a pleasant surprise to me that, I oanno^ refrain 
from an expression of commendation and approval of your efforts, and the 
success attained, to increase the yield of cotton and other crops In this 
state, and thereby better the condition of the farmer. 

Your cotton field was a sea of waving whi te-a real wonder and when 
1 otnsider that It already had been picked over twice before my visit, 
I marvel at the success of your methods of cultivation; ar.d I earnestly 
recommend i t to the farmers of this state. 1 certainly saw more cotton in 
that field after two pickings than 1 have -seen before in this state. 
Vour caffir com and sweet potatoes, were also far superior 
to any 1 have scon, both as to yield and quality. The five sweet potatoes 
measuring ovsr a yard were certainly beautias and I cannot say that they 
were by any means the largest you raised. 

I shall certainly follow your methods this coming year 
in tl-ie cultivation of my two farms in this county. 

Please accept my thanks for the instruction that my visit yielded* 
arid the pleasure I experienced. 

Very tmly. 



/7^//^/ /W-</>?'-<5'-^ 



FEB 24 1912 



RECEIPT 



day of. 191 

Received of , 

one copy of the 1912 edition of "The Ke\) to Successful 
Farming, " b\; John Kasmeiex. 

In accepting this hook, I agree to answer all correspon- 
dence relative to the methods employed therein, and to 
report to Mr. Kasmeier, any success made under his 
methods. 

Signed 

A ddress 

Please give correct address, stating route and box number 



NOTE — Mr. Kasmeier expects to issue a new edition every ^ear, 
setting forth his experiments and methods, and also give the experience 
and success of others employing his method in connection with their 
own, throughout the entire cotton belt. \ 



One copy del. to Cat. Div. 



FEB 14 '9»2 



LIBRftRY OF CONGRESS 



002 586 234 ft 



